Side by side
by Thecricketsarecalling
Summary: In the 1700's Godric made a young gypsy to be his companion and stand by his side. Years later, we discover they still remain fateful even up until the true death.


**Spain - 1708 - Bay of Palma**

Champagne waited on the docks where the merchant ships were due to come in one hot summer night. She was twenty-four, tanned, with green eyes, and exotic black hair. She was dressed in her tanned and black dress, and light beaded shawl. Her hair as always tied up tightly in a bun, with only two loose strands hanging on each side of her face. She had large hoop earrings, and both arms were nearly completely filled nearly to her elbows with jingling gold, and metal bracelets. She was a gypsy fortune teller from the area, and was currently awaiting for her fiancé' Andrew to come in from his ship after months away at sea. She felt anxious, as well as excited. Andrew was a trader, who worked on one of the ships. He had grown up on the same cobble stoned streets as her. Both orphans that had to fight to survive. Now all these years later, Champagne read palms above a pub in the village, and Andrew worked on the ships. They lived a simple life, but were happy. Tonight, he was due back after such a long time. Champagne waited nervously, shifted from foot to foot on her boots. She nervously wrung her hands together, wearing chunky jewelry from the markets, and smiled when she saw in the distance the De Amelia ship come into the bay.

Instantly Champagne smiled, knowing she would wait down below the docks near the stone sea wall. This was her special meeting place whenever he came in, and tonight she longed to run and jump into his arms.

**Later...**

Champagne waited in the shadows near the seawall, waiting as the ship loaded further up. She knew it would take at least an hour before he could come down, but she didn't mind. That's when she heard voices. Turning, she raised an eyebrow instantly recognizing Andrew's voice. Smiling, she carefully crept down the dock, before seeing right towards the end of the wall Andrew standing lit by the glow of one of the few hanging lanterns. Champagne felt her smile widen, laying eyes on her fiancé' after all these long lonely months. He stood further down, fifty, maybe sixty yards away. He was speaking with four men, who looked as if they also worked the docks.

Suddenly, she saw one of the men grab the back of Andrew's neck, and grabbing a blade and pressing it against his face. Champagne's smile disappeared instantly when she saw this, and took off running as fast as she could, boots hammering against the dock. She cleared the distance in just a matter of seconds, before lunging herself with all her might against one of the men. He stumbled forward, and both fell down with a heavy crash. Instantly she heard Andrew shout her name, before another one was on her, grabbing a blade and pressing it against the side of her face. The cool blade stung her cheek as she stared ahead, eyes wide, hair a mess, sweating, and scared. One of the other men had Andrew on his knees, a knife held against his throat. Confused, Champagne stared frightened, before she whimpered.

"Andrew? What's happening?"

"They are fellow ship-mates, they are trying to steal the silver I brought back..."

One of the men, a massive bulking figure with a beard and dark eyebrows laughed before he tossed up in the air the tiny bag that jingled with silver.

"Looks like we're taking it."

One of the other men, the youngest of the bunch, stared, nervously looking around, the sounds of the sea around them.

"What about them?"

"What about them?"

"If we rob them, they might go to the guards in the village..."

The one with the knife to Andrew's stretched out throat laughed.

"Not if we dump the bodies in the sea."

Instantly Champagne stared confused, before it fully hit her what was happening.

"DON'T!"

The man dragged the blade across Andrew's throat, and a large spurt of blood sprayed almost across to Champagne who shrieked at the top of her lungs, watching as Andrew's eyes widened as he choked and gurgled on his own blood. Within seconds he collapsed face forward against the dock with a heavy thud. Seeing him dead, Champagne screamed struggling against the man holding her. Within seconds she felt a terrible blow of pain to the side of her head, before she fell to the side, feeling the warmth of her blood dribble into her vision. Staring up, she looked up at the blurred faces of the men grinning down at her. Ruthless monsters.

"So, who goes first?"

One asked as the others laughed. Weakly, Champagne stared up as the men circled around her, and all at once began to rip her clothing away.

**Later...**

Champagne laid on the dock, her dress torn, beaten, bloody, and barley alive. The men had thrown Andrew's body into the sea, and after hours of having their way with her had beat her nearly to death, before turning and laughing as they walked into the shadows. Champagne laid back, staring up at the night sky. She heard voices, knowing sooner or later she would be discovered. Still, at this exact moment the only thing that prevented her from slipping away and dying was knowing if she did somehow survive...someway she would find these men, and make them pay. Closing her eyes, she used the rage within her to keep her heart from stopping.

**Two years later...**

Champagne stood in the shadows of a dark alleyway. She had black slacks tied with a rope belt, and a flowing blouse on. Her hair tied up, earrings on, she waited patiently as she watched the same group of men that had killed her Andrew, and had raped, and left her for dead. Andrew's body had washed out to sea, and had never been recovered. When Champagne was discovered, some of the villagers suspected she wouldn't make it through the night. It took months to heal, but the scars and memories still remained. When asked what happened that night, all she told was that a group of men attacked her and her fiancé'. They killed her, and left her for dead. Instead, she stayed paitent, using all the money she had to find who these men were, and slowly tracking them from village to village. Now nearly two years later, the hate and rage of that night fueled her to this very moment. She found the youngest of the group drunk and outside of a pub. She waited, until he went out to the alley, stumbling drink, before she snuck up behind him and slit his throat. As he gurgled, choking on his own blood, staring up frightened at her as she stared down, letting him know that the fear he was feeling was the same fear her Andrew felt that night on the dock. After he died, she cleaned her blade off, and continued to follow the others. It took hours until the three of them were alone, all laughing, and passing a bottle of whiskey around, when Champagne got ready.

She pounced on them, stabbing one by surprise in the back, before ripping the blade out and stabbing the second in the chest, straight in the heart. Blood spraying, she turned to stab the other man, the last one, the biggest of the group who had nearly killed her that night. She stared, eyes wild, face sprayed with blood, ready to attack when the man lunged forward, and plunged a blade from his own knife off his belt straight into Champagne's chest. Caught by surprise, she stood back, feeling the white hot pain, as she stood back stunned. She knew this was a suicide mission, but she had planned on killing all three. The one she stabbed in the chest was dead, but the one with the blade in his back was slowly truing to crawl away bleeding. The last one who stabbed her smiled as he slowly retracted the blade, dripping with her own blood.

"Stupid whore!"

With one hard shove he pushed her down, before turning and running away. Standing there, watching him disappear, she swayed, before blood dibbled from her lips and everything from the waist down went numb. She suddenly struggled to breath, as she fell backwards, landing hard. She sat there, back against the stone wall of one of the buildings, in the shadows, bleeding out. She had failed. She wanted to have gotten them all...but she had failed. She sat back, struggling to gasp another breath, knowing as much as she welcomed death, the rage of knowing one had gotten away, made her hate herself. That's when she felt something rush past her, like a cold wind. Her hair flicked against her face as she saw a blur, and within seconds saw the reminding man, still weakly crawling away get picked up off the ground and his neck twisted off. She sat there, bleeding out, unable to react when suddenly the blur of muted grays and browns stopped in front of her. She knew she was dying since this blur of colors had killed the abandoned man, and now knelt right in front of her, mere inches away from her face. It was a young man, a boy in fact. He more travers clothing, he had dark brown hair, and light colored eyes. She saw around the open collar of his shirt, he had markings on him, like a necklace. His face began to blur, and she knew from the numbness in her fingertips that she was dying. Her eyelids felt heavy as she stared up with weak eyes.

"Who...are you?"

"I've been watching you for some time. You have been tracking these men haven't you?"

Champagne slowly nodded, feeling at any second if she closed her eyes it would all be over. Still, she struggled to hold on, frustrated that this was the end. The young man cocked his head, staring at her with curious eyes.

"They have wronged you haven't they? You wish to finish this?"

"Yes..."

"Then, accept me."

"What?"

"Accept me, and we'll finish this together. I have only made two others, but they in my eyes are my children. You...I haven't in all my many years ever felt anything like this before. I've been drawn to you, and have watched from afar for some time now. I know you long to get your revenge. Accept me, and be mine and I promise we will finish this together."

Champagne weakly stared at him, more blood gurgling from her mouth, her breaths were more drawn out as she stared at him, eyes locked. Thinking of the hate that was building inside of her, she knew she was it. She needed to be finished.

"Yes."

The boy reached down, and tilted her head to the side. Fangs popped out, as he lifted his head and sunk his fangs deeply inside of her throat. Crying out, she stiffened, before everything went dark.

**Later...**

Godric laid in the grave that Eric had dug for him in a field just outside the forest. He had drained the girl, and fed her his blood. Afterwards, he called for his child who arrived in no time, having been hunting just outside the village. He knew what Godric had wanted, and knew this wasn't like himself or Nora. He was making this woman, but not as a child...but as a mate. Finally Godric would have a companion worthy of himself. Eric didn't exactly approve, but listened to his master. Godric laid in the ground, arms wrapped around the now dead woman. Eric stood staring down.

"Are you sure father?"

Godric's pale face stared up as he glanced down lovingly at the dead girl.

"Yes...I don't wish to walk this earth alone anymore."

"Father, you're not alone..."

Godric stared up, and Eric instantly knew this was it. He needed to follow orders. Bowing his head, he nodded, before tossing shovelfuls of gravel and soil against Godric and this mysterious woman. Godric pressed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes, knowing by tomorrow night everything would be different.

**The next night...**

Godric clawed his way through the rich smelling dark soil, and burst out from the ground, his light colored eyes staring up at the sparking night stars. Rising, he pulled his body free, tiny rocks and torn roots being shaken off from his body as he pulled himself completely out, and turned, reaching down and grasping Champagne's hand. He felt her now cold skin grasp onto his, getting a strong grip, as he pulled her out, watching the grave collapse as her body emerged. She was filthy, but her hair still remained halfway up, larger pieces fallen down around her dirt smudged face. One hoop earring missing, and her clothing torn slightly, littered with chunks of soil from below. The blood on her blouse had dried, but the slid from the knife still remained. Her skin no longer had the golden tan to it, now she was just as pale as him, her lips a light pale shade of purple. She stood on two unshaken feet, still holding his hand.

Godric stared at her before she lifted her eyes and looked around.

"What is this?"

"You are now as I am. A vampire."

Champagne stared confused, before letting go of Godric's hand. She brought both hands together and pressed them against her chest. Instantly her eyes filled with terror.

"I'm...dead?"

Godric continued to stare, not answering. Champagne let out a haggard breath, before tiny tears of blood began to fall from her eyes, trailing down in small streams down her cheeks, cutting through the dirt, and appearing much darker. Champagne closed her eyes, and let out a deep exhausted sigh before looking up at the sky.

"This is real?"

Godric nodded.

"Your old world is gone now. Had I not have made you...I am certain you would have died. That man, that last remaining...you wanted to live to finish this, to kill him...to get revenge. What happened?"

Champagne stared at him, more bloody tears going down her face. Taking a second, she stared off before shifting her gaze to Godric.

"They murdered the love of my life for a small bag of silver. They raped me for hours, and nearly beat me to death, leaving me for dead. It took me two years, and I was reckless and foolish. It killed me."

"Then follow me, let me teach you...and we will finish this together."

"Am I dead?"

"Yes, but you are reborn."

"Are there others like us?"

"Many, since the dawn of time...but exist, but must follow a code. Look around, tell me what you see? What you feel?"

He took a step closer, taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. Champagne sniffled, and looked around the field. Instantly a million things hit her at once. She could smell the soil, the grass, the wild flowers blossoming. She could feel the warm wind, the crackling of animals in the woods. Her eyes saw things differently. The crisp clear details of the night. She could see from miles away by just the moonlight. The blades of grass, the tiny dew drops of rain. Everything was clearer. She felt an ache in the pit of her stomach. A hunger that twisted and turned, but besides that she felt as if her entire body was on tiny pinpricks. She was aroused, intoxicated, and widely awake.

Using her free hand, she wiped it across her face, and smeared the blood. Turning her hand, she stared at the blood, before wiping her face again. Confused, she stared at it, and then Godric. Calmly, he turned, and took both hands and braced her face firmly with his hands, holding her face and staring at her. Both locked eyes, before Godric smoothly ran his thumbs down her cheeks, clearing the blood and dirt away.

"There are many things to learn, let me teach you."

Champagne stared at him, before Godric softly smiled.

"What is your name?"

"Champagne."

Godric raised an eyebrow this time, still smiling.

"What?"

Champagne found herself giving a dry humorless laugh as she shook her head slightly still within his hands.

"I know...I was an orphan and that's what the people in the village called me since I used to steal champagne bottles from the liqour carts when I was a child."

"I've been watching you for some time. Are you a gypsy?"

Champagne shrugged.

"I read palms."

"So you believe in magic?"

Champagne reached up and wiped some blood off her fingertips.

"I guess I do now."

"Then trust me. I'll teach you, and we'll find him together and finish this."

"Then what?"

"I'm afraid I can't see into the future my child, but I promise you...no matter what I'll stand by your side if you will do the same."

Nodding. Champagne stared forward, letting the rage of revenge to mask her fear. Instead, she stared forward with glaring eyes and reached up slowly taking Godric's blood stained hands and held them between the two of them.

"All right. Teach me."


End file.
